Skateboard park rolling along

Wednesday

Jul 30, 2008 at 6:00 AM

By Shirley Barnes CORRESPONDENT

Templeton Paving Co. not only created a smoothly paved surface this week, in place of the cracked, broken and dangerous base of the local skateboard park, but the workers also provided wonderful entertainment for the youngsters at the playground program.

The restoration of the park is being done by volunteers and with donations. The paving would have cost the town about $10,000 according to Alan Mayo, cemetery and parks superintendent. A Planning Board fund covered about $3,000 for the paving material. The rest of the cost — at least $7,000 — for equipment and workers to pave the area was donated by Templeton Paving Co.

The paving started about 8 a.m. Monday and was finished by noon, as a crew of about six worked with about five pieces of big equipment.

Kids from the playground left their games to line the fence around the skateboard area and watch. Local officials and residents also lined the fence to watch. Playground youth counselors also left their posts to check out the action.

Teacher Darlene Dickson sat on the hillside near the fence with Andrew Hill, Jeremiah Strong and several other youngsters. Mrs. Dickson said the kids at the playground program were at just the right age to be fascinated with the equipment and learn from watching the work.

Eventually, many of the watchers left to finish their ball game and other activities.

At the selectmen’s meeting Monday night, the board appointed a skateboard committee to supervise the park. The committee has two at-large-members, Robert Columbus and Homer Davis, as well as Julie Farrell, representing the selectmen; Police Chief David Whitaker; Bob Whalen from the Planning Board; Mr. Mayo from the Cemetery and Parks Department; and Joseph Parker, a skateboarder.